Mattress



Feb. 21, 1933. w, G. SCHUBERT MATTRESS FilecLApril 18 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE" WILFRED G. SCHUBEBT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEARNS & FOSTER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO I MATTRESS Application filed April 18 1931. Serial No. 531,179.

Y mattresses wherein a conventional set of coil springs is provided with padding and enclosed in a tick.

The object of the invention is to provide a mattress of this type which is stronger and more durable than those heretofore made, which is characterized by a construction which renders the various elements making up the finished mattress more firmly and permanently associated with one another, and which lends itself to processes of fabrication wherein the added strength and durability are imparted to the mattress by operations involving less skilled labor than is usual in the fabrication of mattresses of equal quality.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process of fabricating such mattresses which is at once economical and adapted to provide mattresses of uniform quality b reason of the fact that the amount of wor requiring skill incidental to the fabrication is reduced to a minimum.

Other objects and specific advantages will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanymg drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a spring mattress showing the preferred spring covers applied to a spring.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts in section, showing the mattress, thus far constructed, somewhat in plan to give a more definite idea of the attachment of the welt strip.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through a spring mattress taken on a line between staples and showing the construc tion of a mattress completed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4, Figure 2, showing a staple securing the spring cover about the edge ofv a spring.

In its simplest terms, the invention involves an inner-spring unit, a tick, padding between the inner-spring unit and the tick, and a welt attached to the margin of the inner-spring unit and attached to the tick adjacent to the corners of the tick for the purpose of preventing padding from working over the corners and down the sides of the inner-spring unit and into the box of the mattress. More s ecifically, the innerspring unit is pre erably covered with a flexible member which may be simply burlap. However, a cushion is disclosed as the selected spring covering to keep the padding or felting from working down into the sprmgs.

The spring cover is preferably attached to the spring unit marginally and the specific means of marginal attachment disclosed herein is deemed to be new and useful in and of itself independently of the rest of the mattress structure.

It is considered preferable practice to attach the spring cover and the welt marginally to the inner-spring unit, place padding over the spring covers and then enclose the assembly in a tick with the welt attached to the tick. This attachment may be accomplished in the sewing of the conventional roll edge, by any sort of a special stitch through the tick and welt, or by lapping the welt over the top of the padding and securing it to the tick by the tufts which pass through the mattress.

One of the virtues attendant to the useof this welt is that it secures the tick itself to the springs and/ or spring cover and thereby provides a strong integral structure. Another virtue of the described construction is that it eliminates one of the chief sources of past trouble with mattresses of the innersprmg type which was that when eople sat on the edge of the mattress, the elt on top of the inner-spring had a tendency to break and work down into'the box of the mattress. As this felt gradually worked away from the top of the mattress, it left a thin spot which caused one to feel the springs, thereby rendering the mattress very uncomfortable. The fabric strip secured between the outer tick and the springs entirely prevents any of the felt from breaking and shifting down into the box of the mattress and consequently obviates the past trouble with mattresses of this type. v

In the preferred example illustrated, the

5 4 in between, and stitched every four inches as at 5. Two of these pads are used as the spring covers and applied to the springs one on each side with the burlap next to 16 the springs. The use of this type of pad as a spring covering prevents the s rings either from working through into t e felt, or from obtruding into the felt to such a degree that the user of the mattress becomes conscious of the existence or the location of the individual springs.

These spring covers are attached to the springs by lapping them over the marginal rods 6 of the springs and passing staples 7 at spaced intervals through the top of the spring cover and the edge of the spring cover lapped about the marginal rods. This stapling operation for attaching a spring cover to springs is valuable because it avoids hand stitching and because it facilitates the use of a relatively heavy pad as above described as a spring cushion. A heavy cushion of this type would be diflicult or tedious to attach to the springs by hand sewing-and the stapling method therefore makes possible a superior structure and roduct independent of the skill and care of the workman.

The staples 7 are likewise used for attaching the fabric strips or welts 8 to the springs, though these strips may alternatlvely be secured to the spring coversby, sewing them directly to the burlap or muslin of the covers, either before or after' applying the covers to the springs, or may be eonstltuted by increased dimensions of either of dthe fabrics making up the spring cover a s. P The springs, spring covers, and strips or welts so constituted and assembled, are then added with layers of felt 9 and the welts 45 'sposed about the edges of the felt adding then laid over the to of the elt padding. This assembly is t en stufied into a tick 10 according .to the conventional step in the fabrication of mattresses.

Next, the mattress is provided with a roll edge 11, in the stitching of which the fabric strip or welt is sewed to the tick and is I thereby constituted a corner member between the spring and the tick, insulating the box of the mattress. from all ingress of felt. This formation and sewing of the roll edge is preferably a machine operation though it can be accomplished by hand.

The mattress is then rovided with tufting 12 as is conventional. n fact, all other steps in the fabrication of the mattress, save those specifically described, may be understood to be of a wholly usual and conventional na- 'ture.

'65 Therefore, the invention herein described provides both a mattress which is a strong, durable, inte al structure and a process of fabricating t e same characterized by less skilled hand work than previously requisite for the fabrication of high quality mattresses.

Having described the invention, I desire to be limited only by the following claims:

.1. A spring mattress, comprising, a spring unit having a marginal wire frame for its top and bottom edges, laminated cushion coverings respectively for the top and bottom of the spring unit, each cover bein folded about the wire frame and secure thereto by spaced clips, stufling material upon said coverings, a welt marginally of each coveringhavmg an edge lapping the inner side of the cover and clipped therewith to the spring unit and extended to marginally overlic the covering and provide a pocket for said stufiing material, and a tick as an outer cover for the structure, rolledged with the welting and stufiing, the Welt reinforcing the ticking at the edges of the mattress and connecting the ticking to the spring covering to prevent the stufling working its way to the spring.

2. A spring mattress, comprising, a spring unit having a marginal frame for its top and bottom edges, coverings respectively for the top and bottom of the spring unit, each cover being folded about the wire frame and secured thereto by spaced clips, stufling ma terial upon said covering, a welt marginally of each covering having an edge on the inner side of the cover and secured therewith to the spring unit and extended to marginally overlie the coverings and provide a pocket for said stu fing material, and a tick or outer cover for the structure, roll-edged with the welting and stufiing, the welt relnforcing the ticking at the edges of the mattress and connecting the ticking to the spring covering to prevent the stufling working its way to the spring.

3. A spring mattress, comprising, a spring unit having a top and bottom edge framing, a covering respectively for the top and bottom of the spring unit, each marginally hemmed to the framing, a stufiing material upon said covering, a welt secured to the hemmin of the covering and extended to margina ly overlie the covering and provide a pocket for said stuffing material, and a tick formin an outer covering for the structure, roll-e ed with the welting and stuffing, the weft joining the spring unit and covering with the tick at the edges of the mattress.

' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name. I i,

WILFRED G. SCHUBERT. 

